Apparatus and method for controlling operation cycle of electronic device in wireless communication system

ABSTRACT

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first communication circuit, a second communication circuit, a processor configured to be electrically connected with the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit, and a memory configured to be electrically connected with the processor. The memory includes instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to obtain location information of the electronic device, transmit a first message for requesting to change a state of the electronic device to a network, receive a first response message to the transmitted first message from the network, transmit a second message for requesting a parameter for an operation cycle of the second communication circuit to the network, receive a second response message to the second message from the network, and change the operation cycle of the second communication circuit to a value corresponding to a current state of the electronic device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/687,883 filed on Nov. 19, 2019, which is a Divisional of the earlierU.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/133,851 filed on Sep. 18, 2018 andassigned U.S. Pat. No. 10,492,146, issued on Nov. 26, 2019, which claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No.10-2017-0124196, filed on Sep. 26, 2017, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus and method forcontrolling an operation cycle of an electronic device in a wirelesscommunication system.

2. Description of Related Art

The Internet has evolved into an Internet of things (IoT) network wheredistributed components such as things transmit, receive, and processinformation. The IoT network can be also conceptualized as ahuman-centered network on which humans generate and consume information.In an IoT environment, an intelligence Internet technology (IT) serviceof collecting and analyzing data generated from connected things andcreating new value for the human users may be provided. The IoT isapplicable to various environments, such as smart homes, smartbuildings, smart cities, smart or connected cars, smart grids,healthcare, smart appliances, and cutting-edge medical services, throughconvergence and integration between IoT, conventional IT, and variousindustries.

In general, an electronic device (e.g., an IoT terminal) which supportsan IoT environment may need to reduce power consumption, reduce terminalcosts, and ensure wide, stable coverage. Technologies for meeting theabove-mentioned needs may be referred to as low power wide-area (LPWA).For example, an electronic device which supports LPWA may periodicallyrepeat a power-saving operation where its communication circuit (e.g., acommunication processor (CP)) is activated and deactivated.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determinationhas been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

An electronic device which supports the IoT may provide functions forreducing power consumption. However, the functions for reducing powerconsumption may fail to be adaptively applied depending on the currentstate of the electronic device. The current state of the electronicdevice may include, for example, a state where the electronic deviceneeds to measure its location more frequently or a state where thebattery power remaining in the electronic device is insufficient.

Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least theabove-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at leastthe advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the presentdisclosure is to provide an apparatus for controlling an operation cycleof an electronic device depending on a current state of the electronicdevice and a method thereof.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice is provided. The electronic device may include a firstcommunication circuit, a second communication circuit, a processorconfigured to be electrically connected with the first communicationcircuit and the second communication circuit, and a memory configured tobe electrically connected with the processor. The memory may includeinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor toobtain location information of the electronic device via the firstcommunication circuit, transmit, based on the obtained locationinformation, a first message for requesting to change a state of theelectronic device to a network via the second communication circuit,receive a first response message to the transmitted first message fromthe network, transmit a second message for requesting a parameter for anoperation cycle of the second communication circuit to the network viathe second communication circuit in response to the first responsemessage, receive a second response message to the second message fromthe network, and change the operation cycle of the second communicationcircuit to a value corresponding to a current state of the electronicdevice in response to the second response message.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, anelectronic device is provided. The electronic device may include a firstcommunication circuit, a second communication circuit, a processorconfigured to be electrically connected with the first communicationcircuit and the second communication circuit, and a memory configured tobe electrically connected with the processor. The memory may includeinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor toobtain location information of the electronic device via the firstcommunication circuit, determine, based on the obtained locationinformation, that the electronic device changes from a first state to asecond state, when the electronic device is in the second state,determine, based on at least one of movement speed information of theelectronic device or remaining battery power information of theelectronic device, that the electronic device is in one of a third stateand a fourth state included in the second state, transmit a firstmessage for requesting to change a state of the electronic device to anetwork via the second communication circuit, receive a first responsemessage to the transmitted first message from the network, transmit asecond message for requesting a parameter for an operation cycle of thesecond communication circuit toward the network via the secondcommunication circuit in response to the first response message, receivea second response message to the second message from the network, andchange the operation cycle of the second communication circuit to avalue corresponding to a current state of the electronic device inresponse to the second response message.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a serverdevice is provided. The server device may include a communicationcircuit and a processor. The processor may be configured to executestored instructions to receive a first message for requesting to changea state of an electronic device from another server device, transmit aresponse message to the first message to the other server device,receive a second message for requesting a parameter for an operationcycle of the electronic device from the electronic device, determine aparameter for the operation cycle in response to the second message, andtransmit a second response message including the determined parameter tothe electronic device.

According to embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure, anelectronic device may save power consumption by controlling an operationcycle of the electronic device depending on a current state of theelectronic device.

According to embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure, a user ofanother electronic device may receive various services based on acurrent state of an electronic device by controlling an operation cycleof the electronic device.

In addition, various other aspects and advantages may be directly orindirectly ascertained through the present disclosure.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a network environment forsupporting the Internet of things (IoT) according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a signal sequence diagram illustrating a process of changingan operation cycle of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic devicefor changing a state of the electronic device according to anembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a state diagram illustrating a relationship between thevarious states of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation cycle of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a firstoperation mode, a second operation mode, and a third operation modeaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a signal sequence diagram illustrating a process of changingan operation cycle of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic devicefor changing a state of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a serverdevice according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure may bedescribed with reference to accompanying drawings. Accordingly, those ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that various modifications,equivalents, and/or alternatives on the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a network environment forsupporting the Internet of things (IoT) according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, each of the components may be one entity and may bea set of a plurality of entities. In the example shown in FIG. 1, asecond electronic device 102 directly connected with an IoT platform104. However, the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, thesecond electronic device 102 and the IoT platform 104 may communicationwith each other through a wired/wireless network same or similar to thenetwork 103.

According to an embodiment, each of the electronic device 101 and thesecond electronic device 102 may be referred to as a device used by auser. Each of the electronic device 101 and the second electronic device102 may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), a mobilestation, a subscriber station, a remote terminal, a wireless terminal, auser device, or another term having equivalent technical meaning.

According to an embodiment, the network 103 may include one or moreentities which communicate with the first electronic device 101 over awired/wireless channel. The network 103 may include an IoT network. Forexample, the network 103 may include at least one of a base station(e.g., an access point (AP), an eNodeB (eNB), a 5^(th) generation (5G)node, a wireless point, a transmission/reception point (TRP), a 5G NodeB(5GNB), or another equivalent device), a mobility management entity(MME), a gateway (GW), a home subscriber server (HSS), and a servicecapability exposure function (SCEF).

According to an embodiment, the IoT platform 104 may provide an IoTservice to the first electronic device 101 and the second electronicdevice 102 over the network 103 (or another network connected with thesecond electronic device 102). The IoT platform 104 may be referred toas an application server (AS), a machine type communication (MTC)server, or a machine to machine (M2M) server.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 may supportthe IoT network. For example, the first electronic device 101 maycommunicate with the network 103 over a pre-determined frequency band.The pre-determined frequency band may be a portion of a frequency band(hereinafter referred to as “in-band”) used in another cellular system(e.g., long term evolution (LTE), universal mobile telecommunicationsystem (UMTS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), etc.), mayinclude a guard band used in the other cellular system, or may be adedicated frequency band (hereinafter referred to as “standalone”) usedin the other cellular system. In another example, the first electronicdevice 101 may communicate with the network 103 over a pre-determinedbandwidth. The pre-determined bandwidth may be, for example, 20 MHz, 1.4MHz, or 180 KHz.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 may transmitlocation information, movement speed information, and/or remainingbattery power information of the first electronic device 101periodically or in response to a request of another entity (e.g., thebase station included in the network 103, the IoT platform 104, or thesecond electronic device 102). The IoT platform 104 may store thelocation information, the movement speed information, and/or theremaining battery power information of the first electronic device 101or may transmit the location information, the movement speedinformation, and/or the remaining battery power information of the firstelectronic device 101 to the second electronic device 102.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 maytransmit, to the network 103, a message for requesting a parameter foran operation cycle of the first electronic device 101. In variousembodiments disclosed in the present disclosure, the operation cycle ofthe first electronic device 101 may refer to an operation cycle where atleast some operations of a communication circuit (e.g., a communicationprocessor (CP)) included in the first electronic device 101 aredeactivated. In various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure,the parameter for the operation cycle may include at least one of, forexample, an operation cycle where the communication circuit included inthe first electronic device 101 is activated and deactivated, a timeperiod when the first electronic device 101 monitors a location signalrequest signal, a timer value at which the first electronic device 101operates in an idle mode, or a timer value at which the first electronicdevice 101 operates in a power saving mode (PSM). The first electronicdevice 101 may control the frequency in which location information ofthe first electronic device 101 is transmitted or may reduce batteryconsumption of the first electronic device 101 by adjusting theparameters for the operation cycle. The message for requesting theparameter for the operation cycle may include the parameter values thatare required (i.e., generated) by the first electronic device 101. Thenetwork 103 may accept parameters required by the first electronicdevice 101 without change and may assign the accepted parameters to thefirst electronic device 101, or may re-assign a new value different fromthe parameter values required by the first electronic device 101.

FIG. 2 is a signal sequence diagram illustrating a process of changingan operation cycle of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, in operation 105, the first electronic device 101may obtain its location information. According to an embodiment, thefirst electronic device 101 may obtain its location information using apositioning system such as global positioning system (GPS),wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) positioning system (WPS), or cellularpositioning system (CPS). The location information may include, forexample, coordinates indicating a location of the first electronicdevice 101 or a movement path of the first electronic device 101.

According to an embodiment, in operation 110, based on the obtainedlocation information, the first electronic device 101 may transmit amessage (hereinafter referred as “first message”) for requesting tochange a state of the first electronic device 101 to an IoT platform104. According to an embodiment, the state of the first electronicdevice 101 may be determined based on location information of the firstelectronic device 101. For example, in a state (hereinafter referred toas “second state”) where the first electronic device 101 departs from apre-specified area or a pre-specified movement path, the firstelectronic device 101 may need to adjust the frequency in which locationinformation is transmitted or change an operation cycle of the firstelectronic device 101 (e.g., an operation cycle of a communicationcircuit included in the first electronic device 101) to save batteryconsumption. But in a state (hereinafter referred to as “first state”)where the first electronic device 101 does not depart from thepre-specified area or the pre-specified movement path, the firstelectronic device 101 may not need to change the operation cycle of thefirst electronic device 101. When the first electronic device 101 needsto change its current state from the first state to the second state (orfrom the second state to the first state), it may transmit the firstmessage to the IoT platform 104.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 may generatethe first message through an application layer. An application (e.g., alocation tracker application) for periodically verifying the location ofthe first electronic device 101 may be executed in the first electronicdevice 101 and the second electronic device 102. When the firstelectronic device 101 needs to change from the first state to the secondstate, the application may generate the first message for requesting tochange the state of the first electronic device 101.

According to an embodiment, in operation 115, in response to receivingthe first message, the IoT platform 104 may transmit the message forrequesting to change the state of the first electronic device 101 to thenetwork 103. According to an embodiment, the IoT platform 104 maytransmit the message for requesting to change the state of the firstelectronic device 101 to an entity of the network 103 through theapplication layer. For example, an application executed in the IoTplatform 104 (e.g., an application which provides a service forperiodically verifying the location of the first electronic device 101)may generate the message for requesting to change the state of the firstelectronic device 101 in response to receiving the first message. Themessage transmitted from the IoT platform 104 may be transmitted to, forexample, an MME through a GW included in the network 103.

According to an embodiment, in operation 120, the network 103 (e.g., theMME) may change the state of the first electronic device 101 and maystore information about the changed state of the first electronic device101. In operation 125, the network 103 may transmit a state changeresponse message to the IoT platform 104. For example, the MME includedin the network 103 may transmit the state change response messagethrough the GW. The state change response message may include, forexample, information about the changed state of the first electronicdevice 101 and/or may include information (e.g., flag data) indicating aresponse to the request to change the state of the first electronicdevice 101.

According to an embodiment, in operation 130, the IoT platform 104 maytransmit a response message (hereinafter referred to as “first responsemessage”) to the first message to the first electronic device 101. Forexample, the first response message may include information about thechanged state of the first electronic device 101 and/or may includeinformation (e.g., flag data) indicating a response to the request tochange the state of the first electronic device 101. Although notillustrated in FIG. 1, the IoT platform 104 may store information aboutthe changed state of the first electronic device 101 in its memory ormay notify the second electronic device 102 about the changed state ofthe first electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, themessages transmitted and received in operations 110 to 130 may begenerated in the application layer of each of entities.

According to an embodiment, in operation 135, the first electronicdevice 101 may transmit a message (hereinafter referred to as “secondmessage”) for requesting a parameter for an operation cycle of the firstelectronic device 101 to the network 103. The first electronic device101 may transmit the second message to the network 103 over apre-determined frequency band. According to an embodiment, the secondmessage may be an attach request message, a tracking area update (TAU)request message, or a routing area update (RAU) request message. Thesecond message may include parameters required by the first electronicdevice 101 (i.e., parameters generated by the first electronic device101).

According to an embodiment, in operation 140, the network 103 maytransmit a response message (hereinafter referred to as “second responsemessage”) to the second message to the first electronic device 101.According to an embodiment, the second response message may be an attachresponse message, a TAU response message, or an RAU response message.When the current state of the first electronic device 101 is the firststate, the network 103 may accept parameters included in the secondmessage without change and assign the parameters to the first electronicdevice 101 or may assign a new value different from the parameter valuesincluded in the second message. When the current state of the firstelectronic device 101 is the second state, the network 103 may acceptthe parameters included in the second message without re-assigning theparameters and may assign the parameters to the first electronic device101. Thus, when the state of the first electronic device 101 changes tothe second state, the second response message include parameters havingthe same value as the parameters included in the second message. Inaddition, the second response message may include data (e.g., flag data)indicating that the parameters included in the second message areaccepted without change.

According to an embodiment, in operation 145, the first electronicdevice 101 may determine its operation cycle based on the receivedsecond response message. For example, when in the first state, the firstelectronic device 101 may operate its communication circuit in anoperation cycle to which parameter values assigned from the network 103are applied. In another example, when in the second state, the firstelectronic device 101 may operate the communication circuit in anoperation cycle to which parameter values required by the firstelectronic device 101 are applied.

Accordingly, the first electronic device 101 may adaptively adjust itsoperation cycle depending on its current state by triggering a requestto change the state of the first electronic device 101 based on itslocation information. For example, when a user of the first electronicdevice 101 is a child and when a user of the second electronic device102 is the father or mother of the child, the father or mother may needto periodically verify the location of the child. When the child loseshis or her way (i.e., when the first electronic device 101 departs froma pre-specified area or a pre-specified movement path so that the firstelectronic device 101 is in the second state), the first electronicdevice 101 may request the network 103 to transmit parameters of anoperation cycle to prolong battery life. In addition, the firstelectronic device 101 may request the network 103 to transmit parametersfor setting the location information transmission cycle to a shortercycle.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first electronic device 101 changesits operation cycle based on the location information. However, thestate of the first electronic device 101 may be determined based onother criteria such as movement speed information or remaining batterypower information. For example, when a movement speed of the firstelectronic device 101 is greater than or equal to a threshold, the firstelectronic device 101 may need to transmit its location information morefrequently. In another example, when the remaining battery power of thefirst electronic device 101 is less than a threshold, the firstelectronic device 101 may need to save battery consumption. The firstelectronic device 101 may set its operation cycle to a longer or shortercycle based on its movement speed information or its remaining batterypower information.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic devicefor changing a state of the electronic device according to anembodiment. Operations shown in FIG. 3 may be implemented by a processor(e.g., an application processor (AP)) included in an electronic device101 of FIG. 1 or a processor executing an application installed in thefirst electronic device 101 (e.g., an application which supports an IoTservice).

Referring to FIG. 3, in operation 310, the first electronic device 101according to an embodiment may obtain its location information. Thefirst electronic device 101 may obtain the location information using apositioning system or a sensor.

In operation 320, the first electronic device 101 according to anembodiment may determine, based on the obtained location information,whether to be in a state (the second state) where the first electronicdevice 101 needs to change its operation cycle. If the first electronicdevice 101 determines that it is in the first state where it does notneed to change its operation cycle, the first electronic device 101 mayrepeatedly perform operations 310 and 320.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 maydetermine its state based on pre-specified area information orpre-specified movement path information. The pre-specified areainformation may include one or more geo-fences. The geo-fence may be setby, for example, a user of the first electronic device 101 or a secondelectronic device 102. The movement path information may be generated aslocation information of the first electronic device 101 is accumulatedor may be set by the user of the first electronic device 101 or thesecond electronic device 102. Thus, when the measured location of thefirst electronic device 101 departs from the geo-fence or the movementpath, the first electronic device 101 may determine that it is in thesecond state. In the embodiment with multiple geo-fences, when thecurrently measured location of the first electronic device 101 is out ofall the plurality of geo-fences, the first electronic device 101 maydetermine that it is in the second state.

In operation 330, the first electronic device 101 according to anembodiment may determine whether to be in a third or fourth state, basedon at least one of its movement speed information or its remainingbattery power information. In various embodiments disclosed in thepresent disclosure, the third state may refer to a state where the firstelectronic device 101 needs to prioritize saving its battery consumptionas compared with tracking its location. For example, the third state maymean that there is no motion of the first electronic device 101, that amovement speed of the first electronic device 101 is less than athreshold, or that remaining battery capacity of the first electronicdevice 101 is less than a threshold. In various embodiments disclosed inthe present disclosure, the fourth state may refer to a state where thefirst electronic device 101 needs to prioritize tracking its location ascompared with saving its battery consumption. For example, the fourthstate may mean that a movement speed of the first electronic device 101is greater than or equal to the threshold or that remaining batterycapacity of the first electronic device 101 is greater than or equal tothe threshold.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 may obtainits motion or its movement speed information using a sensor (e.g., agyro sensor or an acceleration sensor) included in the first electronicdevice 101. According to another embodiment, the first electronic device101 may obtain the motion or the movement speed information using apositioning system. For example, the first electronic device 101 maymeasure its motion or its movement speed based on the difference indistance between a location measured at a specific time point (e.g.,time point a) and a location measured at another specific time point(e.g., time point b) and the difference in time between time point a andtime point b.

According to an embodiment, when the first electronic device 101determines its state based on both of its movement speed information andits remaining battery power information, it may determine its statebased on which of the movement speed information and the remainingbattery power information takes priority. For example, it may be assumedthat the remaining battery power information is prioritized over themovement speed information. In this case, although the movement speed ofthe first electronic device 101 is greater than or equal to a threshold,when remaining battery capacity of the first electronic device 101 isless than a threshold, the first electronic device 101 may determine itscurrent state as the third state.

According to an embodiment, when the first electronic device 101 is inthe third state, a message (e.g. the first message described above) forrequesting to change a state of the first electronic device 101 mayinclude information indicating the third state. This message may then betransmitted at operation 340. When the first electronic device 101 is inthe fourth state, the first message may include information indicatingthe fourth state. This message may then be transmitted at operation 350.

FIG. 4 is a state diagram illustrating a relationship between thevarious states of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first state 410 may refer to a state where afirst electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 is within a pre-specified area(e.g., one or more geo-fences) or within a pre-specified movement path.After departing from the pre-specified area or the pre-specifiedmovement path, the first electronic device 101 may change to a secondstate. In the second state, when the movement speed or remaining batterypower of the first electronic device 101 is less than a threshold, thefirst electronic device 101 may change to the third state 420. In thesecond state, when the movement speed or the remaining battery power ofthe first electronic device 101 is greater than or equal to thethreshold, the first electronic device 101 may change to the fourthstate 430. As the movement speed or the battery remaining changes, theelectronic device 101 may switch between the third state 420 and thefourth state 430. In third state 420 or the fourth state 430, when thefirst electronic device 101 returns to the pre-specified area or thepre-specified movement path, the first electronic device 101 may changeback to the first state 410.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation cycle of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment.

The first electronic device 101 of FIG. 1, which supports an IoTnetwork, may operate in two operation modes for more efficient batterymanagement. In various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure,the first operation mode among the two operation modes may be referredto as a connected mode (e.g., radio resource control (RRC)-connected,evolved packet service (EPS) mobility management (EMM)-registered, orEPS connection management (ECM)-connected). According to an embodiment,in the first operation mode, the first electronic device 101 mayestablish a logical connection with the network 103 (e.g., a basestation of the network 103) of FIG. 1. For example, in case ofRRC-connected, the first electronic device 101 may maintain anRRC-connected state with the base station and the base station mayverify the location of the first electronic device 101 for each cell.

In various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure, a secondoperation mode among the two operation modes may be referred to as asleep mode or an idle mode (e.g., RRC-idle, EMM-idle, or ECM-idle).According to an embodiment, in the second operation mode, the firstelectronic device 101 may deactivate operations of at least someportions of a communication circuit (e.g., a communication processor(CP)) configured to communicate with the network 103 or the secondelectronic device 102. According to an embodiment, at least some offunctions of an application processor (AP) of the first electronicdevice 101 may also be limited in the second operation mode. Forexample, in the second operation mode, the AP may not process signalstransmitted and received with the second electronic device 102, but itmay measure location or motion of the first electronic device 101 or maycheck the remaining battery power of the first electronic device 101.According to an embodiment, in the second operation mode, the firstelectronic device 101 may be managed in a tracking area (TA) unit whichhas a wider area than a cell.

Referring to FIG. 5, the horizontal axis of graph 500 may indicate time,and the vertical axis of graph 500 may indicate power consumption of anelectronic device. According to an embodiment, the first electronicdevice 101 in the first operation mode 510 may receive a locationinformation request signal from the network 103 or the second electronicdevice 102. The first electronic device 101 may transmit informationabout tis measured location or movement speed to the network 103 or thesecond electronic device 102.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 in thesecond operation mode 520 may deactivate at least some operations of itscommunication circuit (e.g., a CP) using a specific operation cycle(e.g., an operation cycle 522). For example, after being powered on by auser, the first electronic device 101 may search for a cell of a basestation included in the network 103 or may reselect a cell and may thenchange to the second operation mode 520. The operation cycle 522 mayrange from, seconds, hours, days, months, etc. In various embodimentsdisclosed in the present disclosure, the operation cycle 522 may bereferred to as a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle or an extendeddiscontinuous reception (eDRX) cycle. The first electronic device 101may perform a monitoring operation to receive a location informationrequest signal (or a paging signal) from the network 103 or the secondelectronic device 102 at constant time intervals (e.g., a time interval526) in the operation cycle 522. In various embodiments disclosed in thepresent disclosure, the time interval when the first electronic device101 monitors the location information request signal may be referred toas a paging time window (PTW). The time interval when the firstelectronic device 101 monitors the information request signal may rangefrom, seconds, hours, days, months, etc. The first electronic device 101may receive the location information request signal (or the pagingsignal) at a specific time interval (e.g., time interval 524) in theoperation cycle 522. In various embodiments disclosed in the presentdisclosure, the time interval when the first electronic device 101receives the location information request signal may be referred to as apaging occasion (PO).

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 may changethe duration value of the operation cycle 522 or the duration value ofthe time interval 526 depending to its current state.

For example, when the first electronic device 101 is in the third state,it may set the operation cycle duration value to be larger than thatdetermined in the first state. When the operation cycle duration valueincreases, the interval of the second operation mode 520 increases inlength. And since the interval where the communication circuit of thefirst electronic device 101 is deactivated is lengthened, the firstelectronic device 101 may save battery consumption. In another example,when the first electronic device 101 is in the third state, it may setthe time interval duration value to be smaller than that determined inthe first state. When the time interval duration value decreases, thetime interval when the communication circuit is activated to monitor thelocation information request signal decreases. As such, the firstelectronic device 101 may save power consumption. According to anembodiment, when the first electronic device 101 is in the fourth state,it may set the operation cycle duration value to be smaller than that inthe first state. Similarly, in the fourth state, the time intervalduration value may be set to be relatively larger.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a firstoperation mode, a second operation mode, and a third operation modeaccording to various embodiments.

The first electronic device 101 of FIG. 1, which supports the secondoperation mode described above, may further support a third operationmode to save battery consumption more efficiently. In the thirdoperation mode, the first electronic device 101 may not receive alocation information request signal from the network 103 or the secondelectronic device 102 of FIG. 2. In various embodiments disclosed in thepresent disclosure, the third operation mode may be referred to as apower saving mode (PSM). According to an embodiment, an electronicdevice in the third operation mode may deactivate the functions of anaccess stratum. The access stratum may include a radio resource control(RRC) layer for managing a bearer (e.g., an RRC connection) between theelectronic device and a base station, a medium access control (MAC)layer for managing uplink (or downlink) scheduling between theelectronic device and the base station, and a radio link control (RLC)layer for adjusting a size of data transmitted through the bearer andmanaging quality of service (QoS) for each bearer.

Referring to FIG. 6, the horizontal axis of graph 600 may indicate time,whose unit may be second, minute, hour, etc., and the vertical axis ofgraph 600 may indicate power consumption of the first electronic device101. The first electronic device 101 in the first operation mode 610(e.g., the first operation mode 510 of FIG. 5) may change to the secondoperation mode (e.g., the second operation mode 520 of FIG. 5) at thefirst time point 620 and may simultaneously start a first timer and asecond timer stored in the first electronic device 101. The first timermay be a timer used for the first electronic device 101 to change fromthe second operation mode 520 to a third operation mode 530. The firsttimer may be referred to as, for example, an active timer or T3324. InFIG. 6, the duration of the first timer may be shown as a differencebetween the second time point 630 and the first time point 620. Thesecond timer may be a timer used for the first electronic device 101 tochange from the third operation mode 530 to the first operation mode510. The second timer may be referred to as, for example, an extendedperiodic TAU timer, T3412, or extended T3324. The duration of the secondtimer may be shown as a difference between the third time point 640 andthe first time point 620.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 101 may changethe duration of the first timer or the duration of the second timerdepending on its current state. For example, when in the third state,the first electronic device 101 may set a second timer value (i.e. theduration of the second timer) to a value larger than that determined inthe first state. The first electronic device 101 may also set a firsttimer value (i.e. the duration of the first timer) to a value smallerthan that determined in the first state. When the second timer valueincreases or when the first timer value decreases, the operatinginterval of the third operation mode 530 increases in length. As such,the first electronic device 101 may save power consumption. Similarly,when in the fourth state, the first electronic device 101 may set thesecond timer value to a small value or may set the first timer value toa large value so that its location is more frequently measured.

FIG. 7 is a signal sequence diagram illustrating a process of changingan operation cycle of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment in which a state change of a firstelectronic device 101 is triggered by a second electronic device 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, in operation 705, the second electronic device 102according to an embodiment may obtain location information (e.g.,location coordinates or a movement path) of the first electronic device101 through an IoT platform 104. For example, the second electronicdevice 102 may obtain the location information by transmitting alocation information request signal to the first electronic device 101in response to a user request received by the second electronic device102. For another example, the second electronic device 102 mayperiodically obtain the location information according to apre-determined cycle.

In operation 710, based on the location information of the firstelectronic device 101, the second electronic device 102 according to anembodiment may transmit a message (hereinafter referred to as “thirdmessage”) for requesting to change a state of the first electronicdevice 101 to the IoT platform 104. According to an embodiment, thethird message may be generated by an application layer of the secondelectronic device 102 (e.g., a location tracker application executed inthe second electronic device 102). The third message may be transmittedin response to that the state of the first electronic device 101 ischanged or may be transmitted in response to a user input of the secondelectronic device 102.

In operation 715, the IoT platform 104 according to an embodiment maytransmit the message for requesting to change the state of the firstelectronic device 101 to the network 103 in response to receiving thethird message. According to an embodiment, the IoT platform 104 maytransmit the message for requesting to change the state of the firstelectronic device 101 to an entity (e.g., an MME) of the network 103through the application layer.

In operation 720, the network (e.g., the MME) according to an embodimentmay change the state of the first electronic device 101 and may storeinformation about the changed state of the first electronic device 101.In operation 725, the network 103 may transmit a state change responsemessage to the IoT platform 104. For example, the MME included in thenetwork 103 may transmit the state change response message through a GW.For example, the state change response message may include informationabout the changed state of the first electronic device 101 and/or mayinclude information (e.g., flag data) indicating a response to therequest to change the state of the first electronic device 101.

In operation 730, the IoT platform 104 according to an embodiment maytransmit a response message to the third message (hereinafter referredto as “third response message” or “state change response message”) tothe second electronic device 102 in response to the message receivedfrom the network 103. For example, the state change response message mayinclude the information about the changed state of the first electronicdevice 101 and/or may include information (e.g., flag data) indicating aresponse to the request to change the state of the first electronicdevice 101. In operation 735, the IoT platform 104 according to anembodiment may transmit a state change notification message indicatingthat the state is changed to the first electronic device 101.Hereinafter, operations 740 to 750 where a message is transmitted andreceived between the first electronic device 101 and the network 103 maybe the same as operations 135 to 145 shown in FIG. 2.

The second electronic device 102 may more easily verify the location ofthe first electronic device 101 by monitoring location information ofthe first electronic device 101 and triggering the request to change thestate of the first electronic device 101. For example, when the user ofthe first electronic device 101 is a child and when the user of thesecond electronic device 102 is the father or mother of the child, whenthe child who wears (or carries) the first electronic device 101 loseshis or her way (i.e., when the first electronic device 101 departs froma pre-specified area or a pre-specified movement path or when the firstelectronic device 101 is in the second state), the father or mother maytrigger the request to change the state of the first electronic device101 such that the first electronic device 101 prolongs its battery lifeor may set the location information transmission cycle of the firstelectronic device 101 to a short cycle.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic devicefor changing a state of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, in operations 810 and 820, the second electronicdevice 102 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment, based on locationinformation of the first electronic device 101, may determine whetherthe first electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 is in the second state wherethe first electronic device 101 needs to change its operation cycle.When the first electronic device 101 is in the first state where thefirst electronic device 101 does not need to change the operation cycle,the second electronic device 102 may repeatedly perform operations 810and 820.

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device 102 maydetermine the state of the first electronic device 101 based onpre-specified area information or pre-specified movement pathinformation. The pre-specified area information or the pre-specifiedmovement path information may be stored in the IoT platform 104 of FIG.1 or may be stored in a memory of the second electronic device 102. Thepre-specified area information or the pre-specified movement pathinformation may be set by a user of the second electronic device 102 ormay be generated as location information of the first electronic device101 is accumulated.

In operation 830, the second electronic device 102 according to anembodiment may determine whether the first electronic device 101 is inthe third or fourth states, based on at least one of movement speedinformation or remaining battery power information of the firstelectronic device 101. For example, the second electronic device 102 mayobtain the movement speed information or the remaining battery powerinformation by transmitting an information request signal to the firstelectronic device 101 in response to a user request of the secondelectronic device 102. For another example, the second electronic device102 may obtain the movement speed information or the remaining batteryinformation periodically according to a pre-determined cycle. Accordingto an embodiment, when determining the state based on both the movementspeed information and the remaining battery power information of thefirst electronic device 101, the second electronic device 102 maydetermine the state based on which of the movement speed information andthe remaining battery power information takes priority.

When the first electronic device 101 is in the third state, in operation840, the second electronic device 102 may transmit a third messageindicating the third state. When the first electronic device 101 is inthe fourth state, in operation 850, the second electronic device 102 maytransmit the third message indicting the fourth state.

As described above, the operation method of the first electronic device101 may include obtaining location information of the first electronicdevice 101, transmitting, based on the obtained location information, afirst message for changing a state of the first electronic device 101 tothe network 103, receiving a first response message to the first messagetransmitted from the network 103, transmitting a second message forchanging an operation cycle of a communication circuit included in thefirst electronic device 101 to the network 103 in response to the firstresponse message, receiving a second response message to the secondmessage from the network 103, and changing the operation cycle of thecommunication circuit to a value corresponding to a current state of thefirst electronic device 101 in response to the second response message.According to an embodiment, a parameter for the operation cycle mayinclude at least one of a cycle where the communication circuit isactivated and deactivated and a time period when the first electronicdevice 101 monitors a location information request signal.

According to an embodiment, the parameter for the operation cycle mayfurther include at least one of a first timer value at which the firstelectronic device 101 operates in an idle mode and a second timer valueat which the first electronic device 101 operates in a power saving mode(PSM).

According to an embodiment, the second message may include an attachrequest message, a TAU request message, or an RAU request message. Thesecond response message may include an attach response message, a TAUresponse message, or an RAU response message.

According to an embodiment, the method of the first electronic device101 may further include changing a current state of the first electronicdevice 101 from a first state to a second state based on at least one ofthe location information of the first electronic device 101 andinformation about a pre-specified area or information about apre-specified movement path.

According to an embodiment, the method of the first electronic device101 may further include changing a state of the first electronic device101 from one of a third state and a fourth state based on at least oneof movement speed information of the first electronic device 101 orremaining battery power information of the first electronic device 101.

According to an embodiment, the changing of the state of the firstelectronic device 101 to the one of the third state and the fourth statemay include changing the state of the first electronic device 101 to theone of the third state and the fourth state based on which of movementspeed information of the first electronic device 101 and remainingbattery power information of the first electronic device 101 takespriority.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagramillustrating an electronic device 901 (e.g., a first electronic device101 or a second electronic device 102 of FIG. 1) in a networkenvironment 900 (e.g., a network environment of FIG. 1). When theelectronic device 901 supports the IoT, to save costs and batteryconsumption of the electronic device 901, at least some of thecomponents shown in FIG. 9 may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9, an electronic device 901 in the network environment900 may communicate with an electronic device 902 through a firstnetwork 998 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication) or maycommunicate with an electronic device 904 (e.g., the second electronicdevice 102 or the first electronic device 101) or a server 908 (e.g.,the IoT platform 104) through a second network 999 (e.g., along-distance wireless communication same as the network 103) in anetwork environment 900. According to an embodiment, the electronicdevice 901 may communicate with the electronic device 904 through theserver 908. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 901 mayinclude a processor 920, a memory 930, an input device 950, a soundoutput device 955, a display device 960, an audio module 970, a sensormodule 976, an interface 977, a haptic module 979, a camera module 980,a power management module 988, a battery 989, a communication module990, a subscriber identification module 996, and an antenna module 997.According to some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display device960 or the camera module 980) among components of the electronic device901 may be omitted or other components may be added to the electronicdevice 901. According to some embodiments, some components may beintegrated and implemented as in the case of the sensor module 976(e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor)embedded in the display device 960 (e.g., a display).

The processor 920 may operate, for example, software (e.g., a program940) to control at least one of other components (e.g., a hardware orsoftware component) of the electronic device 901 connected to theprocessor 920 and may process and compute a variety of data. Theprocessor 920 may load a command set or data, which is received fromother components (e.g., the sensor module 976 or the communicationmodule 990), into a volatile memory 932, may process the loaded commandor data, and may store result data into a nonvolatile memory 934.According to an embodiment, the processor 920 may include a mainprocessor 921 (e.g., a central processing unit or an applicationprocessor) and an auxiliary processor 923 (e.g., a graphic processingdevice, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or acommunication processor), which operates independently from the mainprocessor 921, additionally or alternatively uses less power than themain processor 921, or is specified to a designated function. In thiscase, the auxiliary processor 923 may operate separately from the mainprocessor 921 or embedded. The processor 920 may include amicroprocessor or any suitable type of processing circuitry, such as oneor more general-purpose processors (e.g., ARM-based processors), aDigital Signal Processor (DSP), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), anApplication-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-ProgrammableGate Array (FPGA), a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), a video cardcontroller, etc. In addition, it would be recognized that when a generalpurpose computer accesses code for implementing the processing shownherein, the execution of the code transforms the general purposecomputer into a special purpose computer for executing the processingshown herein. Certain of the functions and steps provided in the Figuresmay be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of both andmay be performed in whole or in part within the programmed instructionsof a computer. No claim element herein is to be construed under theprovisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless the element is expresslyrecited using the phrase “means for.” In addition, an artisanunderstands and appreciates that a “processor” or “microprocessor” maybe hardware in the claimed disclosure. Under the broadest reasonableinterpretation, the appended claims are statutory subject matter incompliance with 35 U.S.C. § 101.

According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 923 (e.g., thesensor hub processor or the communication processor) may be implementedas a part of another component (e.g., the sensor module 976 or thecommunication module 990) that is functionally related to the auxiliaryprocessor 923. The memory 930 may store a variety of data used by atleast one component (e.g., the processor 920 or the sensor module 976)of the electronic device 901, for example, software (e.g., the program940) and input data or output data with respect to commands associatedwith the software. The memory 930 may include the volatile memory 932 orthe nonvolatile memory 934.

The program 940 may be stored in the memory 930 as software and mayinclude, for example, an operating system 942, a middleware 944, or anapplication 946.

The input device 950 may be a device for receiving a command or data,which is used for a component (e.g., the processor 920) of theelectronic device 901, from an outside (e.g., a user) of the electronicdevice 901 and may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or akeyboard.

The sound output device 955 may be a device for outputting a soundsignal to the outside of the electronic device 901 and may include, forexample, a speaker used for general purposes, such as multimedia play orrecordings play, and a receiver used only for receiving calls. Accordingto an embodiment, the receiver and the speaker may be either integrallyor separately implemented.

The display device 960 may be a device for visually presentinginformation to the user and may include, for example, a display, ahologram device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling acorresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display device 960may include a touch circuitry or a pressure sensor for measuring anintensity of pressure on the touch.

The audio module 970 may convert a sound and an electrical signal indual directions. According to an embodiment, the audio module 970 mayobtain the sound through the input device 950 or may output the soundthrough an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 902(e.g., a speaker or a headphone)) wired or wirelessly connected to thesound output device 955 or the electronic device 901.

The sensor module 976 may generate an electrical signal or a data valuecorresponding to an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) insideor an environmental state outside the electronic device 901. The sensormodule 976 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, abarometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, agrip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared sensor, abiometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or anilluminance sensor.

The interface 977 may support a designated protocol wired or wirelesslyconnected to the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device902). According to an embodiment, the interface 977 may include, forexample, an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), a USB(universal serial bus) interface, an SD card interface, or an audiointerface.

A connecting terminal 978 may include a connector that physicallyconnects the electronic device 901 to the external electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 902), for example, an HDMI connector, a USBconnector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., aheadphone connector).

The haptic module 979 may convert an electrical signal to a mechanicalstimulation (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulationperceived by the user through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. Thehaptic module 979 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectricelement, or an electric stimulator.

The camera module 980 may shoot a still image or a video image.According to an embodiment, the camera module 980 may include, forexample, at least one lens, an image sensor, an image signal processor,or a flash.

The power management module 988 may be a module for managing powersupplied to the electronic device 901 and may serve as at least a partof a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 989 may be a device for supplying power to at least onecomponent of the electronic device 901 and may include, for example, anon-rechargeable (primary) battery, a rechargeable (secondary) battery,or a fuel cell.

The communication module 990 may establish a wired or wirelesscommunication channel between the electronic device 901 and the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 902, the electronicdevice 904, or the server 908) and support communication executionthrough the established communication channel. The communication module990 may include at least one communication processor operatingindependently from the processor 920 (e.g., the application processor)and supporting the wired communication or the wireless communication.According to an embodiment, the communication module 990 may include awireless communication module 992 (e.g., a cellular communicationmodule, a short-range wireless communication module, or a GNSS (globalnavigation satellite system) communication module) or a wiredcommunication module 994 (e.g., an LAN (local area network)communication module or a power line communication module) and maycommunicate with the external electronic device using a correspondingcommunication module among them through the first network 998 (e.g., theshort-range communication network such as a Bluetooth, a WiFi direct, oran IrDA (infrared data association)) or the second network 999 (e.g.,the long-distance wireless communication network such as a cellularnetwork, an internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN)). Theabove-mentioned various communication modules 990 may be implementedinto one chip or into separate chips, respectively.

According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 992 mayidentify and authenticate the electronic device 901 using userinformation stored in the subscriber identification module 996 in thecommunication network.

The antenna module 997 may transmit a signal or power to the outside(e.g., an external electronic device) or may receive a signal or powerfrom the outside. The antenna module 997 may be configured with aconductor or a conductive pattern according to an embodiment. In someembodiments, the antenna module 997 may further include another part(e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other that theconductor or the conductive pattern. According to an embodiment, theantenna module 997 may include one or more antennas. At least oneantenna suitable for a communication mode used in a communicationnetwork, such as the first network 998 or the second network 999, may beselected by, for example, the communication module 990. The signal orpower may be transmitted or received between the communication module990 and the external electronic device through the at least one selectedantenna.

Some of the components may be connected to each other through acommunication method (e.g., a bus, a GPIO (general purposeinput/output), an SPI (serial peripheral interface), or an MIPI (mobileindustry processor interface)) used between peripheral devices toexchange signals (e.g., a command or data) with each other.

According to an embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted orreceived between the electronic device 901 and the external electronicdevice 904 through the server 908 connected to the second network 999.Each of the electronic devices 902 and 904 may be the same or differenttypes as or from the electronic device 901. According to an embodiment,all or some of the operations performed by the electronic device 901 maybe performed by another electronic device or a plurality of externalelectronic devices. When the electronic device 901 performs somefunctions or services automatically or by request, the electronic device901 may request the external electronic device to perform at least someof the functions related to the functions or services, in addition to orinstead of performing the functions or services by itself. The externalelectronic device receiving the request may carry out the requestedfunction or the additional function and transmit the result to theelectronic device 901. The electronic device 901 may provide therequested functions or services based on the received result as is orafter additionally processing the received result. To this end, forexample, a cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-servercomputing technology may be used.

According to an embodiment, the processor 920 (e.g., the main processor921) may obtain location information of the electronic device 901 (e.g.,a first electronic device 101 of FIG. 1) via a communication circuit(hereinafter referred to as “first communication circuit”) included inthe wireless communication module 992. The first communication circuitmay obtain the location information using a positioning system, forexample, GPS, WPS, or CPS.

According to an embodiment, the processor 920 (e.g., the main processor921) may transmit or receive a message (e.g., a first message, a firstresponse message, a second message, or a second response message) withthe second network 999 (e.g., a network 103 of FIG. 1) via anothercommunication circuit (hereinafter referred to as “second communicationcircuit”) included in the wireless communication module 992.

According to an embodiment, the processor 920 (e.g., the main processor921) may obtain movement speed information of the electronic device 901(e.g., the first electronic device 101) through a sensor included in thesensor module 976 or the auxiliary processor 923 (e.g., a sensor hubprocessor) or may obtain remaining battery power information through thepower management module 988.

According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 923 or acommunication processor (e.g., a second communication circuit)implemented as a portion of the communication module 990 may beactivated or deactivated in accordance with an operation cycle (i.e.,the communication processor may operate in one of first to thirdoperation modes described above). When the communication processor isactivated, the main processor 921 may receive a location informationrequest signal or may transmit location information. When thecommunication processor is deactivated, the main processor 921 may notreceive the location information request signal and may not transmit thelocation information.

According to an embodiment, the processor 920 may determine a state ofthe electronic device 901 based on location information, movement speedinformation, and/or remaining battery power information of theelectronic device 901 and may transmit a message for changing a state ofthe electronic device 901 via the communication module 990. According toan embodiment, when the change of the electronic device 901 is changed,the processor 920 may transmit a parameter request message for anoperation cycle of the communication processor.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a serverdevice according to an embodiment.

A server device 1000 shown in FIG. 10 may be, for example, an entity(e.g., an MME or a GW) included in the network 103 of FIG. 1 or may bethe IoT platform 104 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 10, the server device1000 may include a communication circuit 1010, a processor 1020, and amemory 1030.

The communication circuit 1010 may provide an interface forcommunicating with other entities. The communication circuit 1010 mayconvert a bitstream transmitted to another entity into a physical signalor may convert a physical signal received from another entity into abitstream. Furthermore, the communication circuit 1010 may transmit andreceive a signal. Thus, the communication circuit 1010 may be referredto as a “transmitter,” a “receiver,” or a “transceiver.”

The memory 1030 may store data such as an operating system program, anapplication program, or configuration information for an operation ofthe server device 1000. The memory 1030 may be configured as a volatilememory, a nonvolatile memory, or a combination thereof. The memory 1030may provide data stored in the memory 1030 depending on a request of theprocessor 1020. According to an embodiment, the memory 1030 may storeinformation about a state of the first electronic device 101 of FIG. 1.The memory 1030 may store location information, movement speedinformation, or remaining battery power information of the firstelectronic device 101.

The processor 1020 may control overall operations of the server device1000. For example, the processor 1020 may transmit and receive a signalvia the communication circuit 1010. According to an embodiment, theprocessor 1020 may transmit and receive a message for changing a stateof the first electronic device 101 via the communication circuit 1010.According to an embodiment, the processor 1020 may store informationabout the state of the first electronic device 101 in the memory 1030.According to an embodiment, the processor 1020 may transmit and receivea message for changing an operation cycle of the first electronic device101.

As described above, an electronic device (e.g., a first electronicdevice 101 of FIG. 1) may include a first communication circuit (e.g., acommunication circuit included in a wireless communication module 992 ofFIG. 9), a second communication circuit (e.g., another communicationcircuit included in the wireless communication circuit 992), a processor(e.g., a processor 920 of FIG. 9) configured to be electricallyconnected with the first communication circuit and the secondcommunication circuit, and a memory (e.g., a memory 930 of FIG. 9)configured to be electrically connected with the processor. The memorymay include instructions, when executed by the processor, cause theprocessor to obtain location information of the electronic device viathe first communication circuit, transmit, based on the obtainedlocation information, a first message for requesting to change a stateof the electronic device to a network (e.g., a first network 103 ofFIG. 1) via the second communication circuit, receive a first responsemessage to the transmitted first message from the network, transmit asecond message for requesting a parameter for an operation cycle of thesecond communication circuit to the network via the second communicationcircuit in response to the first response message, receive a secondresponse message to the second message from the network, and change theoperation cycle of the second communication circuit to a valuecorresponding to a current state of the electronic device in response tothe second response message.

According to an embodiment, the parameter for the operation cycle mayinclude at least one of a cycle where the second communication circuitis activated or deactivated and a time period when the electronic devicemonitors a location information request signal. Alternatively, theparameter for the operation cycle may further include at least one of afirst timer value at which the electronic device operates in an idlemode and a second timer value at which the electronic device operates ina power saving mode (PSM).

According to an embodiment, the second message may include an attachrequest message, a TAU request message, or an RAU request message. Thesecond response message may include an attach response message, a TAUresponse message, or an RAU response message.

According to an embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor todetermine that the electronic device changes from a first state to asecond state, based on at least one of the location information of theelectronic device and information about a pre-specified area orinformation about a pre-specified movement path.

According to an embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor todetermine that the electronic device is in one of a third state and afourth state, based on at least one of movement speed information of theelectronic device or remaining battery power information of theelectronic device.

According to an embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor todetermine that the electronic device is in the one of the third stateand the fourth state, based on which of the movement speed informationof the electronic device and the remaining battery power information ofthe electronic device takes priority. The first message may includeinformation for requesting to change to one of the third state and thefourth state.

As described above, an electronic device (e.g., a first electronicdevice 101 of FIG. 1) may include a first communication circuit (e.g., acommunication circuit included in a wireless communication module 992 ofFIG. 9), a second communication circuit (e.g., another communicationcircuit included in the wireless communication module 992), a processor(e.g., a processor 920 of FIG. 9) configured to be electricallyconnected with the first communication circuit and the secondcommunication circuit, and a memory (e.g., a memory 930 of FIG. 9)configured to be electrically connected with the processor. The memorymay include instructions, when executed by the processor, cause theprocessor to obtain location information of the electronic device viathe first communication circuit, determine, based on the obtainedlocation information, that the electronic device changes from a firststate to a second state, when the electronic device is in the secondstate, determine, based on at least one of movement speed information ofthe electronic device or remaining battery power information of theelectronic device, that the electronic device is in one of a third stateand a fourth state, transmit a first message for requesting to change astate of the electronic device to a network (e.g., a network 103 ofFIG. 1) via the second communication circuit, receive a first responsemessage to the transmitted first message from the network, transmit asecond message for requesting a parameter for an operation cycle of thesecond communication circuit to the network via the second communicationcircuit in response to the first response message, receive a secondresponse message to the second message from the network, and change theoperation cycle of the second communication circuit to a valuecorresponding to a current state of the electronic device in response tothe second response message.

According to an embodiment, the parameter for the operation cycle mayinclude at least one of a cycle where the second communication circuitis activated and deactivated and a time period when the electronicdevice monitors a location information request signal. Alternatively,the parameter for the operation cycle may further include at least oneof a first timer value at which the electronic device operates in anidle mode and a second timer value at which the electronic deviceoperates in a power saving mode.

According to an embodiment, the second message may include an attachrequest message, a TAU request message, or an RAU request message. Thesecond response message may include an attach response message, a TAUresponse message, or an RAU response message.

According to an embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor todetermine that the electronic device changes from the first state to thesecond state, based on at least one of the location information of theelectronic device and information about a pre-specified area orinformation about a pre-specified movement path.

According to an embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor todetermine that the electronic device changes to one of the third stateand the fourth state, based on priorities of the movement speedinformation of the electronic device and the remaining battery powerinformation of the electronic device. The first message may includeinformation for requesting to change to one of the third state and thefourth state.

As described above, a server device (e.g., a server device 1000 of FIG.10 or an MME included in a network 103 of FIG. 1) in a wirelesscommunication system may include a communication circuit (e.g., acommunication circuit 1010 of FIG. 10) and a processor (e.g., aprocessor 1020 of FIG. 10). The processor may be configured to executestored instructions to receive a first message for requesting to changea state of an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device 101 ofFIG. 1) from another server device (e.g., an IoT platform 104 of FIG.1), transmit a response message to the first message to the other serverdevice, receive a second message for requesting a parameter for anoperation cycle of the electronic device from the electronic device,determine a parameter for the operation cycle in response to the secondmessage, and transmit a second response message including the determinedparameter to the electronic device.

According to an embodiment, the second message may include an attachrequest message, a TAU request message, or an RAU request message. Thesecond response message may include an attach response message, a TAUresponse message, or an RAU response message.

According to an embodiment, the second message may include the parameterfor the operation cycle of the electronic device. The second responsemessage may include the same parameter as the parameter included in thesecond message.

According to an embodiment, the parameter may include at least one of acycle where the communication circuit is activated and deactivated and atime period when the electronic device monitors a location informationrequest signal. Alternatively, the parameter may further include a firsttimer value at which the electronic device operates in an idle mode anda second timer value at which the electronic device operates in a powersaving mode.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in thepresent disclosure may be various types of devices. The electronicdevice may include, for example, at least one of a portablecommunication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portablemultimedia device, a mobile medical appliance, a camera, a wearabledevice, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure should not be limited to theabove-mentioned devices.

It should be understood that various embodiments of the presentdisclosure and terms used in the embodiments do not intend to limittechnologies disclosed in the present disclosure to the particular formsdisclosed herein; rather, the present disclosure should be construed tocover various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives ofembodiments of the present disclosure. With regard to description ofdrawings, similar components may be assigned with similar referencenumerals. As used herein, singular forms may include plural forms aswell unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the presentdisclosure disclosed herein, the expressions “A or B,” “at least one ofA or/and B,” “A, B, or C,” or “one or more of A, B, or/and C,” and thelike used herein may include any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items. The expressions “a first,” “a second,” “thefirst,” or “the second,” used in herein, may refer to correspondingcomponents without implying an order of importance, and are used merelyto distinguish each component from the others without unduly limitingthe components. It should be understood that when a component (e.g., afirst component) is referred to as being (operatively orcommunicatively) “connected,” or “coupled,” to another component (e.g.,a second component), it may be directly connected or coupled directly tothe other component or any other component (e.g., a third component) maybe interposed between them.

The term “module” used herein may represent, for example, a unitincluding one or more combinations of hardware, software and firmware.The term “module” may be interchangeably used with the terms “logic,”“logical block,” “part,” and “circuit.” The “module” may be an entiretyof an integrated part or may be a part thereof. The “module” may be aunit for performing one or more functions or a part thereof. Forexample, the “module” may include an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented bysoftware (e.g., the program 940) including instruction(s) stored in amachine-readable storage media (e.g., an internal memory 936 or anexternal memory 938) readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). Themachine may be a device that calls the instruction(s) from themachine-readable storage media and operates depending on the calledinstruction(s) and may include the electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 901). When the instruction(s) is executed by theprocessor (e.g., the processor 920), the processor may performfunction(s) corresponding to the instruction(s) directly or using othercomponents under the control of the processor. The instruction(s) mayinclude code made by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter.The machine-readable storage media may be provided in the form ofnon-transitory storage media. Here, the term “non-transitory,” as usedherein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not asignal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency.

According to an embodiment, the method according to various embodimentsdisclosed in the present disclosure may be provided as a part of acomputer program product. The computer program product may be tradedbetween a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program productmay be distributed in the form of machine-readable storage medium (e.g.,a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be distributed onlythrough an application store (e.g., a Play Store™). In the case ofonline distribution, at least a portion of the computer program productmay be temporarily stored or generated in a storage medium such as amemory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or arelay server.

Each component (e.g., the module or the program) according to variousembodiments may include at least one of the above components, and aportion of the above sub-components may be omitted, or additional othersub-components may be further included. Alternatively or additionally,some components (e.g., the module or the program) may be integrated inone component and may perform the same or similar functions performed byeach corresponding components prior to the integration. Operationsperformed by a module, a programming, or other components according tovarious embodiments of the present disclosure may be executedsequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or in a heuristic method. Also,at least some operations may be executed in different sequences,omitted, or other operations may be added.

Certain aspects of the above-described embodiments of the presentdisclosure can be implemented in hardware, firmware or via the executionof software or computer code that can be stored in a recording mediumsuch as a CD ROM, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a magnetic tape, aRAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk or computercode downloaded over a network originally stored on a remote recordingmedium or a non-transitory machine readable medium and to be stored on alocal recording medium, so that the methods described herein can berendered via such software that is stored on the recording medium usinga general purpose computer, or a special processor or in programmable ordedicated hardware, such as an ASIC or FPGA. As would be understood inthe art, the computer, the processor, microprocessor controller or theprogrammable hardware include memory components, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash,etc. that may store or receive software or computer code that whenaccessed and executed by the computer, processor or hardware implementthe processing methods described herein.

While the present disclosure has been shown and described with referenceto various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the present disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device in a wireless communicationsystem, the electronic device comprising: a communication circuit; aprocessor operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and a memoryoperatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory storesinstructions, when executed by the processor, causing the processor to:obtain, via the communication circuit, location information of anexternal electronic device from an external server, determine a state ofthe external electronic device based on the location information,transmit, via the communication circuit, a first message requesting tochange the state of the external electronic device to the determinedstate, and receive, via the communication circuit, a second messageindicating that the state of the external electronic device has beenchanged, wherein the state of the external electronic device is used forchanging an operation cycle of the external electronic device.
 2. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the second message comprises flagdata or information representing the state of the external electronicdevice.
 3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructionsfurther cause the processor to: determine the state of the externalelectronic device from a first state to a second state, based on thelocation information of the external electronic device and at least oneof information about a pre-specified area or information about apre-specified movement path.
 4. The electronic device of claim 3,wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: determine thatthe electronic device is in one of a third state and a fourth state,based on at least one of movement speed information of the externalelectronic device or remaining battery power information of external theelectronic device.
 5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein theinstructions further cause the processor to: determine that the externalelectronic device is in the one of the third state and the fourth state,based on priority of the movement speed information and the remainingbattery power information of the external electronic device.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 5, wherein the first message comprisesinformation for requesting to change the state of the externalelectronic device to one of the third state and the fourth state.
 7. Amethod of an electronic device in a wireless communication system,comprising: obtaining location information of an external electronicdevice from an external server; determining a state of the externalelectronic device based on the location information; transmitting afirst message requesting to change the state of the external electronicdevice to the determined state; and receiving a second messageindicating that the state of the external electronic device has beenchanged, wherein the state of the external electronic device is used forchanging an operation cycle of the external electronic device.
 8. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the second message comprises flag data orinformation representing the state of the external electronic device. 9.The method of claim 7, wherein determining the state of the externalelectronic device comprises: determining the state of the externalelectronic device from a first state to a second state, based on thelocation information of the external electronic device and at least oneof information about a pre-specified area or information about apre-specified movement path.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereindetermining the state of the external electronic device furthercomprises: determining that the electronic device is in one of a thirdstate and a fourth state, based on at least one of movement speedinformation of the external electronic device or remaining battery powerinformation of external the electronic device.
 11. The method of claim10, wherein determining the state of the external electronic devicefurther comprises: determining that the external electronic device is inthe one of the third state and the fourth state, based on priority ofthe movement speed information and the remaining battery powerinformation of the external electronic device.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein the first message comprises information for requesting tochange the state of the external electronic device to one of the thirdstate and the fourth state.